Insurers See Claims Rising in Pennsylvania Following Last Week’s Hail Storm

Some insurers say they are seeing an increased volume of claims in Pennsylvania following last Thursday’s freak hail storm that caused widespread damage in communities in the eastern part of the state.

State Farm said that, as of end of Wednesday, May 28, it received 1,228 homeowners/structural claims and 9,105 auto claims in Pennsylvania from the May 22 hail storm activity. “The auto claims also included a lot of total losses. The hail was that destructive, so that a lot of these cars are non-drivable and are total losses,” a State Farm spokesperson said.

In comparison, State Farm had 6,324 total auto and homeowners/structural claims related to hail storm activities in Pennsylvania for all of 2013. “So, in one day we got more than a year’s worth of hail claims in Pennsylvania,” the State Farm spokesperson said.

Additionally, Allstate said it has seen claims due to last week’s hail storm in Pennsylvania. “It is too soon to know the number of claims we expect to receive, but our adjusters continue to work closely with customers in affected areas to help guide them through the claims process so they can rebuild or restore their property as quickly as possible,” an Allstate spokesperson said.

“In addition, we have sent one of our mobile claim centers to the Home Depot in Wyomissing, Penn., to help our customers file claims quickly,” the Allstate spokesperson said.

The National Weather Service said hail — some reportedly the size of tennis balls — fell across parts of eastern Pennsylvania last Thursday night, cracking car windshields, breaking windows and damaging siding. Emergency management officials in Berks and Montour counties said they have received a flood of calls about damage but no reports of serious injuries, according to an Associated Press report.